Baby Blues
Genre
Based onBaby Blues
by Rick Kirkman
Jerry Scott
Developed by
Voices of
Theme music composerSteven Page
Opening theme"It's All Been Done" by Barenaked Ladies
ComposerBen Decter
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2 (1 unaired)[1]
No. of episodes26 (13 unaired)[1]
Production
Executive producers
  • Jeff Martin
  • Pete Ocko
  • Rick Kirkman (co-executive producer)
  • Jerry Scott (co-executive producer)
Producers
Running time22 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network
ReleaseJuly 28, 2000 (2000-07-28) –
March 10, 2002 (2002-03-10)

Baby Blues is an American adult animated sitcom, based on the comic strip of the same name by Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott, produced by Warner Bros.[2] The first eight episodes of Baby Blues originally aired in the United States on The WB between July 28 and August 24, 2000, before being canceled. The five remaining episodes from the first season eventually aired on Adult Swim in 2002.[3] A second season, consisting of 13 episodes, was produced but never aired.[1]

The animated adaptation of Baby Blues differs from the comic by having it take place when Zoe was still an infant, even though she was the older sister to Hammie in the strip at the time. In addition, it focuses on Darryl and Wanda's relationship with supporting characters created for this series, including the Bittermans, a dysfunctional next-door family with three children; Bizzy, Zoe's babysitter; and Kenny, Darryl's laid-back close friend and co-worker.

Characters

Main

From left to right: Melinda, Carl, Megan, Charlie the dog, Darryl, Wanda, Zoe, Rodney, Kenny, Shelby, and Bizzy.

Recurring and minor

Production

Warner Bros. Animation produced eight of the season one episodes, with overseas animation done by Varga Studio in Hungary for five of them (including the pilot), and Sunwoo Entertainment in Korea for the three others. Rough Draft Studios in Los Angeles did five episodes, which include "Bizzy Moves In", "Rodney Has Two Daddies", "Hurtin' Inside", "Ugly Zoe", and "Wanda Moves Up".[4][5]

In another attempt to compete with Fox's popular animated sitcoms, The WB made the series to be more adult-oriented than the comic strip (by having some sexuality, mild swearing, etc.). Because Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott had limited creative control over the animated version, they were not completely pleased about this kind of difference, though Scott said he liked "part of it".

The Baby Blues animated series took nearly five years to develop and produce,[6] and what was initially the pilot, "A Baby Blues Christmas Special", was supposed to air in December 1998, but it was postponed more than once,[7] while other episodes were being ordered and completed. The Christmas episode finally aired on Adult Swim on February 24, 2002.[8] In 1999, the series was almost to be re-titled Bluesville without Scott's knowledge, but Baby Blues was kept as the title, given how popular the comic strip is with more than 60 million readers.

Opening sequence

The opening theme song was a shorter version of "It's All Been Done" by Barenaked Ladies, from their 1998 album Stunt. The title sequence was designed by Renegade Animation, who would later be known for Cartoon Network's Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi,[9] and shows the characters at the Warner Bros. studios.[citation needed]

Episodes

Series overview

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast airedNetwork
113July 28, 2000 (2000-07-28)March 10, 2002 (2002-03-10)The WB (episodes 1–8)
Adult Swim (episodes 9–13)
213Unaired[1]N/A

Season 1 (2000–02)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code
Viewers
(millions)
1"God Forbid"Shawn BjörklundRobert Kurtz & Eric BrandJuly 28, 2000 (2000-07-28)225-0472.53[10]
Darryl and Wanda reluctantly recruit their colorful next door neighbors, the Bittermans, to be the caretakers of Zoe should something happen to them.
2"Bizzy Moves In"Rich MooreJoey Soloway[a]July 28, 2000 (2000-07-28)225-0482.60[10]
Wanda, going through a mid-life crisis, starts hanging out with Bizzy (Zoe's babysitter). When Wanda, Bizzy, and Bizzy's friends get arrested for breaking into an aquarium, Darryl must bail them out, much to his chagrin.
3"Rodney Has Two Daddies"Ron Hughart & Chris SauveStory by : Jeff Martin and Peter Ocko and Leonard Dick and Joey Soloway
Teleplay by : Jeff Martin and Peter Ocko
August 4, 2000 (2000-08-04)225-0492.42[12]

Rodney becomes interested in culinary arts, but he keeps his passion for cooking a secret from his family, due to fear of disappointing his father. Darryl secretly becomes Rodney's cooking teacher, and due to the secrets and late nights out, Wanda becomes convinced Darryl is cheating on her.

This episode features the song "Alternative Girlfriend" by Barenaked Ladies.
4"Hurtin' Inside"Susie DietterLeonard DickAugust 4, 2000 (2000-08-04)N/A2.36[12]
Wanda and Darryl, feeling concerned for Bizzy because of her physically abusive boyfriend, set out to find Bizzy a new boyfriend, with disastrous results.
5"The Bitterman Hillbillies"John KafkaJoey SolowayAugust 11, 2000 (2000-08-11)225-0572.19[13]
When the Bittermans become wealthy, Darryl becomes insanely jealous and feels his masculinity is threatened. Meanwhile, the Bittermans hire Bizzy to be a personal servant, leading to conflict between the MacPhersons and the Bittermans.
6"World's Greatest Dad"Bob CurtisJackie and Jeff FilgoAugust 11, 2000 (2000-08-11)225-0522.39[13]
Darryl and Carl begin hanging out with their children at "Gumdrop Palace" (a Chuck E. Cheese-type location), where they enjoy watching the sexy, scantily-clad "Birthday Lady". Darryl feels guilty about this however, and begins showering Wanda with gifts and affection as a result.
7"Rodney Moves In"John KafkaJeff Martin & Peter OckoAugust 18, 2000 (2000-08-18)225-0512.0[14]
The MacPhersons discover that the only way they can get Zoe to cease her crying is by having Rodney sleep in her crib. Meanwhile, Melinda and Carl attempt to bring the spark back into their marriage, now that they have one of three annoying kids out of the picture.
8"Ugly Zoe"Brian SheesleyJeff Martin & Peter OckoAugust 25, 2000 (2000-08-25)225-2051.86[15]

Wanda freaks out about Zoe's pinkeye, cradle cap and face scabs before an interview with a fancy, prestigious preschool. Meanwhile, Darryl pretends Bizzy is his wife to earn the attention and friendship of his boss.

Note: This was the last episode to be broadcast on The WB, before the network canceled the series due to poor ratings.
9"Wanda Proof"Shawn BjörklundLeonard DickJanuary 20, 2002 (2002-01-20)225-053N/A

After Wanda accidentally injures Zoe by dropping her off the diaper changing table, Darryl begins to "babyproof" the house. When Wanda accidentally jabs an anal thermometer in Zoe's rectum, she rushes Zoe to the hospital, and attempts to keep the visit a secret from Darryl.

Note: This was the first episode to premiere on Cartoon Network (Adult Swim), which aired the final five unaired remaining episodes from the first season.
10"The Bad Family"John KafkaMatthew WeinerJanuary 27, 2002 (2002-01-27)225-054N/A
Due to a series of misunderstandings, the MacPhersons are ostracized as the "bad family" in the neighborhood.
11"Teddy-Cam"Bob CurtisLeonard DickFebruary 3, 2002 (2002-02-03)225-055N/A
Darryl becomes jealous when Wanda befriends Bizzy's new boyfriend, and becomes convinced that Wanda might cheat on him. Carl talks Darryl into using a teddy bear stuffed with a camera to spy on Wanda while he is away at work.
12"A Baby Blues Christmas Special"Tony CervonePeter Ocko, Adam Barr & Jeff MartinFebruary 24, 2002 (2002-02-24)475-137N/A
Serving as a prequel to the series, this episode revolves around the birth of Zoe around Christmastime, and Darryl and Wanda's struggles as new parents.
13"Wanda Moves Up"Peter AvanzinoBill FreibergerMarch 10, 2002 (2002-03-10)225-203N/A
Tired of being a stay-at-home mom, Wanda rejoins the working world, and becomes unexpectedly successful. Meanwhile, Darryl, while staying home and taking care of Zoe, begins to miss going to work.

Unaired second season

In September 2000, Warner Bros. announced that a second season would be produced.[16] Although a second season, consisting of 13 episodes, was produced, it has never aired.[1] Kirkman stated that the second season was nearly complete, and only needed a few final edits (such as replacing the temp music), before it was ready for release. Despite this, however, Kirkman also states that the season was written off as a loss by The WB as an accounting practice,[17] and "will probably never see the light of day".[18]

Broadcast

The WB typically aired two episodes each week, thus enabling eight different episodes to be shown in the five-week run, but abandoned plans to air additional episodes which had been completed. Previously unaired episodes from the first season later aired on Cartoon Network's late night programming block, Adult Swim, and later on sister channel TBS, and on Teletoon at Night in Canada.

Reception

When Baby Blues aired on The WB, it got moderate to low ratings, resulting in its cancellation in August 2000. The series also received mixed to negative reviews from professional critics. Particularly, on its premiere night, South Coast Today wrote that "'Baby Blues' is hardly perfect. Its teen characters are right out of the MTV/WB playbook; the notion of a nutty family next door is as old as the sitcom hills. But as a slightly silly, slightly sweet summer series that's not afraid to show it has a heart, it more than exceeds even this cranky critic's expectations."[19] David Bianculli of New York Daily News was negative towards Baby Blues, giving it 1 1/2 stars, and called it "depressingly flat". Also in the article, he wrote "Timing and originality, even in comedy, may not be everything – but they count for a lot, and WB's new 'Baby Blues' series doesn't get high marks in either category. First, 'Baby Blues', which premieres with a double header tonight at 8, is an animated prime-time comedy, arriving the summer after a season in which there were too many dull entries in that particular genre. That's bad timing. 'Baby Blues' could overcome that by being funnier than the rest. Unfortunately, it's not. Second, 'Baby Blues', based on the syndicated comic strip by Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott, is a sitcom in two dimensions. That is, it's an animated show in which human beings engage in everyday activities – working, goofing off, sleeping, fighting and so on. At its best, this particular category of animated comedy gives you 'The Simpsons'. At its worst, it gives you 'Clerks'."[20]

John Kiesewetter from the Television Critics Association wrote a negative article on the series. He calls it "an embarrassment to the newspaper comic's loyal readers, all 60 million", and criticizes The WB for turning "the sweet family musings into a cross between Dennis the Menace and Dawson's Creek", and for having it lack "the charm, wit and insights of the daily strip about weary new parents Darryl and Wanda MacPherson, and baby Zoe."

Notes

  1. ^ Credited as Jill Soloway; they changed their name to Joey Soloway in 2020.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "FAQ". Archived from the original on 2016-03-25. Retrieved 2016-03-24.
  2. ^ Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 53–54. ISBN 978-1538103739.
  3. ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 103–104. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  4. ^ "Baby Blues: God Forbid". TV.com. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 23 April 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  5. ^ "Rough Draft to produce "Baby Blues", fueling rumor of Warner layoffs". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on 4 May 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  6. ^ "Baby Blues Celebrates 10 Years!". kingfeatures.com. 2000-07-11. Archived from the original on 14 September 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  7. ^ "Baby Blues: A Baby Blues Christmas Special (a.k.a. The Christmas)". TV.com. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  8. ^ Crump, William D. (2019). Happy Holidays—Animated! A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film. McFarland & Co. p. 20. ISBN 9781476672939.
  9. ^ The Big Cartoon DataBase (24 February 2002). "Cartoon Characters, Cast and Crew for A Baby Blues Christmas Special (The Christmas)". Big Cartoon DataBase (BCDB). Archived from the original on April 21, 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  10. ^ a b "National Nielsen Viewership (July 24–30)". The Los Angeles Times. August 2, 2000. Retrieved May 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  11. ^ "@joeysoloway on Instagram: "The world is exploding, but I didn't want to not share my evolution. It feels so good to have a name that matches my nonbinary identity. I…"". Instagram. Retrieved 2020-06-27. Non-loginwalled link at bibliogram.pussthecat.org
  12. ^ a b "National Nielsen Viewership (July 31-Aug. 6)". The Los Angeles Times. August 9, 2000. Retrieved May 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  13. ^ a b "National Nielsen Viewership (Aug. 7-13)". The Los Angeles Times. August 16, 2000. Retrieved May 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  14. ^ "Primetime TV Rate Race (Aug. 14-20)". The Hollywood Reporter. August 23, 2000.
  15. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Aug. 21-27)". The Los Angeles Times. August 30, 2000. Retrieved May 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  16. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2020-08-13. Retrieved 2019-09-12.((cite web)): CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. ^ DeMott, Rick. "WB Dumps Baby Blues 2nd Season". Animation World Network. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  18. ^ Schwarz, John (18 May 2020). "Baby Blues TV Series Producer Clears Up Misconception About Show's Second Season". Bubbleblabber. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  19. ^ "WB's 'Baby Blues' exceeds critic's (low) expectations". South Coast Today. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  20. ^ "'Baby Blues' Cries Out for Originality". New York Daily News. 28 July 2000. Archived from the original on 2014-04-20. Retrieved 2014-04-19.